I recently built two very different dining tables. Below
are several photos of the pieces in progress.

Mahogany Pedestal Table: The first three
below show some of the complex joinery for the pedestal
base.

Pedestal Table: the banding and inlay
work. The fan inlay (a la Garrett Hack) was the first I've
used this detail. This was a practice in cherry.

Maple Extension Table: Progression of
refinement to the leg to apron intersection... On a
different note, based on an article in FWW, I used extra
long (48") heavy-duty drawer slides from Lee Valley to make
a set of hybrid wood slides and was thrilled with how they
came out. But they are very heavy!

Maple Extension Table: Walnut and ebony
corner inlay progression. I make inlays of this type by
gluing the smaller wood pieces to a thin (~3/16 in.) backer
board. This makes the inlays easy to work with when I hand
plane them to fit. I sneak up on a perfect fit by planing
the edges of the inlay pieces with an inward angle so they
are thinnest on the bottom (i.e., edges of backer board)
& widest on top (i.e., edges of walnut and ebony bits)
and then use a sharp marking knife to trace their outline
onto the wood they are going in. I use my 2" wide Japanese
chisel to further establish the outlines and then rout away
most of the material to just under the full thickness of
the inlay. I stay about an 1/8" away from the knife lines
when routing and clean up the edges with very sharp
chisels. This whole method creates a slightly too-small
recess (by design) for the inlay. I get a just-right fit by
planing away the edges of the inlay (usually with my No. 7
jointer mounted blade-side-up in my bench vise) until they
fit tightly. I glue them in so they are about 1/16 in.
proud of the surface and then take very light shavings to
smooth them flush with the rest of the table top surface.
Lots of thoughtful handwork required makes this kind of
activity one of my favorite things to do in woodworking!